“Teaching can’t be your whole life. Get out there and live.”
That sums up what pretty much everyone has been telling me the past couple of weeks. There’s something about the teaching profession and the great expectations people have of it that makes me feel like I have to do it all. That I can’t live for myself.
Maybe it has to do with how, every time I check my inbox, there seems to be another reminder about how I’ll never live up to expectations (there’s always something that’s not being done correctly on a school-wide, if not individual level). Or maybe it’s because work-life balance for some of my colleagues means working twelve-hour weekdays or staying up until 2 a.m. trying to figure out the new paperwork / documentation procedures that were rolled out this year.
What I’m learning to do is to let go. To set a time to leave work and to drop any unfinished business until the next day because boundaries need to be set. I need to be able to leave work and not worry about things that need doing because I have commitments outside of work too.
Sunday was a beautiful day. My friend, who teaches at another school in the same district, told me some words that I needed to hear. Words that reminded me that there is more to this life. I did some things around the house that I’ve been meaning to do (one item with which I’m especially pleased is how I reorganized my books to accommodate new arrivals), and I enjoyed listening to a local orchestra perform. I’d love to spend more time going out to listen to the orchestra. I think it’d be relaxing to enjoy the music while getting some writing time in or just being. I spend so much of my work time moving from one item on the agenda to the next without any breathing space.
Rest is something that I’m still learning to figure out, but I think I’m starting to get somewhere. It gives me great joy to be at this place.
Week in Puppy
Because we need puppies (and other things that make us smile) in our lives ☀️
Skylar is a big baby. Even though she has the (large and comfy) ottoman to herself, she loves to cross over to the armchair to cuddle with my mom. Over time, she’ll take over more and more of the seat until you can’t tell who was there first 😂
Look at that adorable smile on her face. She makes me so happy. ❤️
My Bookish-TV Life
Read
- Stormrise by Jill Boehme
- Kyoshi by F.C. Lee [ongoing]
- The Soul of America by Jon Meacham [ongoing audiobook]
Watched
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba [caught up]
- American Ninja Warrior [ongoing]
- Master Chef Season 10 [ongoing]
- America’s Got Talent [ongoing]
Last Week on the Blog
- [Guest Post] 10 Bucket List Items to do with Your BFFs
- [Review & Giveaway] Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan
- [Review] Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning: “The Little Mermaid” Meets World War I
This Week on the Blog
- [Giveaway] Sea Witch Rising by Sarah Henning
- [Promo] Stormrise by Jill Boehme
- [Discussion] Post TBD
In the Blogosphere
Now that I’m getting rest back into my schedule, the goal is to get more involved in the blogosphere!
- Dani @ Perspective of a Writer shares her review for The Magnolia Sword : A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas. Now, I’m even more hyped for this book.
- The Orang-utan Librarian shares some of the BEST BOOKS SET IN SCHOOL.
Chat with Me
What’s new with you this week in life and books?
Aleen @ Lampshade Reader says
I hope you work and life balance out eventually. It can be hard to let go and I’ve found that in the past I used to be like that. No matter how much work I put in, I never got appreciated for it.
Anyways, Skylar is getting big! 🙂
Crystal says
Thank you so much, Aleen!
Yes, it’s getting hard to pick her up! (And she complains a lot more when I do! She too thinks that she’s a big girl now 😂)
theorangutanlibrarian says
It’s really important to set aside time to relax and I’m glad you had such a good Sunday 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing my post! <3
Crystal says
Thanks so much!
My pleasure ❤️
Dani @ Perspective of a Writer says
I totally get what you mean about having a work life balance Crystal! I work from home so feel like I don’t have that at all!! It’s hard to put it down. I’m blessed to have tons of reading to do that pressures me to set aside work. ❤️ Thanks for featuring my post too!! I’m so glad you’re excited for The Magnolia Sword!
Crystal says
Sometimes, I think that it sounds wonderful to work from the comfort of home, but I agree that it would make setting aside work difficult! I agree that it’s so important to have other commitments that remind us to step aside from work and live life. <3 My pleasure! I really enjoyed your review of The Magnolia Sword 🙂